Electric junction block



June 1958 H. w. B'ATCHELLER 2,840,794

ELECTRIC JUNCTION BLOCK Filed July 6, 195a.

XM flaaz izz w United States Patent M ELECTRIC JUNCTION BLOCK Hugh W.Batcheller, Newton Highlands, Mass., assignor to Ark-Les SwitchCorporation, Watertown, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication July 6, 1953, Serial No. 366,203

3 Claims. (Cl. 339-220) This invention relates to a junction blockadapted to facilitate the assembling of electrical appliances of variouskinds which have more or less complicated wiring. Appliances such asradios, refrigerators and the like usually include a number of partswith terminals which.

must be connected by wires in assembling the appliance. In many cases itis necessary or convenient to connect two wires to each other inassembling the appliance or to disconnect such wires in removing a partfor replacement or repair. The present invention relates to a simpledevice by which pairs of wires can quickly and easily be connected ordisconnected. Effective electrical connections can be made by the use ofcertain connectors of the male and female type, the male memberconsisting of a flat rectangular tongue which enters a shallow channelin the female member and is pressed by the latter into firm interfacialengagement therewith. According to the present invention one or morestrips of brass or other suitable conducting material are bent torectangular U-shaped and then secured to a plate of insulation which canbe mounted where desired. The arms of the U are arranged to formparallel tongues each of which constitutes a male connector member readyto receive a corresponding female connector member secured on the end ofa wire.

The sheet or strip of insulation may be of any desired size and shapeaccording to the number and arrangement of the connectors desired. Theresulting junction block is compact and effective and can be made at alow cost.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the following description thereof and to the drawing of which- Figure1 is a perspective view of a junction block embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the insulating plate forming a part ofthe junction block;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a conducting member before it ismounted on the insulating plate;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the portion of the plate shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the conducting member shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6'6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 77 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing the parts illustrated in Figures 6and 7;

Figure 9 is similar to Figure 8 except that the conducting member hasbeen staked to secure it to the plate; and

Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

For convenience of description the junction block illustrated in Figure1 will be thought of as mounted in a vertical position, this being thecustomary position in which it is employed. The device comprises a plateof rigid insulating material which plate may be of any desired length orwidth. Screw holes 22 may be provided by which the plate can be securedto a vertical 2,840,794 Patented June 24, 1958 wall for frame. Mountedon the plate 20 are any desired number of conducting members 24, threesuch members being shown in Figure 1. Each member consists of a strip ofsuitable metal such as brass bent to U-shape so that it hastwo parallelarms and a connecting portion 28; The latter is preferably plane withsharp right angles between it and the arms. Each arm has a portion 30 ofnarrowed width extending from its free end 32 to a wider portion 34which is contiguous to the connecting part 28 of the conducting member24. Between the narrower portion and the wider portion of each tongueare a pair of shoulders 36. The shoulders are spaced from the connectingportion 28 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of theinsulating plate 20.

As indicated in Figures 2 and 4, the insulating plate has an aperture 40therethrough for each conductor mounted thereon. Each aperture 40consists essentially of two parallel slots 42 and 44 which are eachshaped to receive and be fitted by the wider portion 34 of the arm 26.As shown in Figure 4 the portion of the plate between the slots 42 and44 is for the most part cut away so that the aperture 40 of which theslots are part is H-shaped. This aperture forms a pair of tongues 46 and48 which project toward each other.

The conducting member 24 is mounted on the plate 20 by pushing the arms26 through the slots 42 and 44 from behind the plate until theconnecting portion 28 bears against the rear face of the tongues 46 and48 and the arms project through the slots and out in front of the plate20. A suitable staking tool (not shown) is employed to cut intoshoulders 36 where they meet the side edges of the narrow portions 30 ofthe arms 26 and to wedge outward the elements 50 thus formed, asindicated in Figure 9. The engagement of the connecting portion 28 ofthe conductor against the rear face of the tongues 46 and 48 preventsfurther forward movement of the conductor relative to the plate 20. Theelements 50 which have been wedged outward from the edges of each arm 26prevent rearward movement of the conductor. Hence, the conductor issecurely anchored in place on the plate 20, the arms 26' projectingforward therefrom.

Each arm 26 is preferably rectangular in shape and is adapted to act asthe male member of an electrical connector to receive a correspondingfemale member 52 which may be in the form of a shallow channel withinturned flanges on the side walls. Connectors of this description arewell known.

When a junction block of the type described has been mounted in anappliance such as an electric refrigerator, and the various electricalunits of the refrigerator have been installed therein with wiresprojecting from such units having female connector members secured onthe ends thereof, suitable connections between these wires may bequickly and easily made by thrusting the female connector elements onthe forwardly extending arms 26 of a junction block, these arms being inthe form of complemental male connector members.

I claim:

1. A junction block comprising a plate of insulation having an H-shapedaperture therethrough forming two tongues projecting toward each other,and a conducting member consisting of a metal strip bent to U-shape withtwo plane parallel arms and a connecting portion, said connectingportion bearing against the rear face of said tongues, said armsprojecting forwardly through said aperture, the side edges of said armshaving struck-out marginal portions adjacent the front face of saidplate providing side edges, each of which terminates in a shoulder witha portion of each arm, said side edges adjacent the shoulders beingwedged outwardly from the arms and downwardly into engagement withopposing v3 surfaces of said plate to prevent rearward movement of saidconducting member relative thereto.

2. A junction block as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion of eacharm projecting from said aperture forwardly of said struck-out portionsis narrower than the portion within said aperture.

3. A junction block comprising a plate of insulation and a conductingmember mounted thereon, said member consisting of a metal strip bent toU-shape with two plane parallel arms and a plane connecting portion atright angles to said arms, saidmember being mounted on said plate sothat said connecting portion bears against the rear face of said plateand said arms project forwardly through and out in front of said plate,the side edges of said arms having struck-out marginal portions adjacentthe front face of said plate providing side edges 4; each of whichterminates in a shoulder with a portion of each arm, said side edgesadjacent the shoulders being wedged outwardly from the arm anddownwardly into engagement with opposing surfaces of said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,039,957 Hall May 5, 1936 2,314,855 Del Camp Mar. 23, 1943 2,509,701Smith May 30, 1950 2,551,970 Sampson May 8, 1951 2,632,832 Bush et alMar. 24, 1953 2,647,962 Batcheller Aug. 4, 1953 2,738,485 BatchellerMar. 13, 1956 2,782,392 Stolle Feb. 19, 1957

